The present disclosure generally relates to appliances, and more particularly to locking multiple doors of a multiple-cavity oven with a single manual latch.
Self-cleaning or pyrolitic ovens operate in the self-cleaning mode at temperatures that can in some cases exceed 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Safety regulations and standards require that the doors to a self-cleaning oven be securely locked when the temperature of the oven reaches approximately 600 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, as the temperature of the oven approaches 600 degrees Fahrenheit, a bi-metal, hydraulic, or other temperature based mechanical locking system engages a locking pin that prevents the mechanical mechanism from being unlocked. The oven doors cannot be opened until the oven temperature drops below a pre-determined temperature or set point.
Existing door locking systems for self-cleaning ovens generally fall into two groups, mechanical and electronic. Mechanical systems will incorporate an actuating mechanism that locks the door when manually activated. Typically, these manual systems are configured so that the locking position cannot be achieved unless the door is fully closed. If the locking position is not achieved, the self-cleaning cycle of the oven will not activate. A switch or other position sensing mechanism is generally used to verify that the oven door is in the fully closed position and locked.
Electronic systems will typically sense oven temperature using a resistance temperature detector (RTD) device. The electronic control system will generally have a single digit RPM motor or solenoid that will lock the oven door with an eccentrically driven locking mechanism, also referred to herein as a “latch pawl.”
When multiple ovens are in use, in a multi-cavity oven appliance, it is common to allow only one of the ovens to be in the self-clean mode or state at any one time, due to the extreme heat that is generated and the high power requirements of the oven while in the self-clean mode. However, because the adjacent oven in a multiple oven configuration can also become quite hot while the other oven is in the self-clean mode, typically all of the oven doors must be closed and locked when any one of the ovens is in the self-clean mode. In the typical double oven configuration, electronic locking systems are used because the oven that is not in the self-clean mode does not get hot enough to engage the thermally activated locking pin or switch of the mechanical system.
Electronic locking systems for multiple oven configurations will require an electronic control system that must monitor the open and closed positions of the oven door(s), verify that the door(s) are in the closed and locked positions, and drive the motor or solenoid. These electronic systems also require software and multiple position switches and sensors, and are more costly than simple mechanical systems.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system that addresses at least some of the problems identified above.